The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, has said that the NNPC will support the development of the Oloibiri Museum and Research Centre in Ogbia, Bayelsa state.
He disclosed this during the groundbreaking ceremony of the project on Tuesday, February 21 in Bayelsa state. He said:
- “This company belongs to all Nigerians. That is why in NNPCL, we are determined to ensure value is returned to everyone, particularly where the value is created. We will do everything possible to support this project.”
More details: Earlier this month, the Federal Executive Council approved the Phase-1 Engineering, Procurement & Construction contract award for the Oloibiri Museum & Research Centre (OMRC) in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.
- The research centre is expected to close a major gap in Nigeria’s quest for homegrown technology inputs required to service exploration and production activities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
- The Oloibiri project has four development partners; the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) and the Bayelsa State Government (BYSG), and each entity would contribute to the development of the monument in the ratio of 40, 30, 20 and 10% respectively.
- The project will be completed in 30 months, long after the Buhari administration has completed its tenure.
Buhari’s legacy: The project will be one of Buhari’s legacy projects and has been described by some industry experts as a welcome development because it creates the opportunity for the boost of research in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. A Nigerian production Engineer, James Akwaji, told Nairametrics that he believes the project is beneficial to the energy sector. He said:
- “It is a research centre where academic institutions can carry out research in oil and gas projects. Also, students can go sightseeing for the purpose of learning. I believe there will be a lot of oil and gas equipment that will be beneficial to the students, especially those studying petroleum engineering, chemical engineering, geology and more.”
